For Patients and Families

Network 7 provides services to help ensure transplant and end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients are receiving the best care possible. We do this by:

Working with dialysis and transplant facilities to improve the quality of care

Investigating patient grievances

Providing patient and provider education

And more!

We encourage you and your family to learn more about ESRD and ways that you can become involved in your treatment by looking at topics on this website. Equally important, we urge you to talk to your care team (physicians, nurses, social workers, dietitians, and technicians) and get involved in the decision-making process so that you will find your own best approach to treatment.

This Spanish language resource was created by patients for patients, with the goals of:• Getting more patients engaged in their dialysis Plans of Care (POC).• Encouraging dialysis facilities to hold POC meetings with patients.• Inspiring patients to attend their POC meetings.

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

This Patient Grievance Toolkit (available in English and Spanish) was created by the Forum of ESRD Networks Kidney Patient Advisory Council (KPAC). It was developed BY patients, FOR patients, and offers guidance and tools to assist in the grievance process.

Patient Needs Assessment

The Home Hemodialysis Needs Assessment is designed to gain an understanding of dialysis patients’ educational needs, level of activity in the facility Plan of Care process, and knowledge of treatment options.

The In-Center Hemodialysis Needs Assessment is designed to gain an understanding of dialysis patients’ educational needs, level of activity in the facility Plan of Care process, and knowledge of treatment options.

ESRD and Health Education

The Little Book About Kidneys by Victoria Hanson and illustrated by Jenny Tulip, will help you talk to young children about your kidneys and the treatments you may experience. It is intended to support you in explaining your kidney failure to children.

Patient Organizations

The American Association of Kidney Patients is recognized as the leader for patient-centered education – continually developing high quality, professionally written, edited and reviewed educational pieces covering every level of kidney disease.

The American Kidney Fund is dedicated to ensuring that every kidney patient has access to health care, and that every person at risk for kidney disease is empowered to prevent it. The site offers patient programs, kidney disease education, and professional education.

Every competent adult has the right to make decisions concerning his or her own health, including the right to choose or refuse medical treatment. This website contains health care advance directives education, information, and forms.

Fixing Paco is a website dedicated to educating the public about the leading causes of kidney disease, how to prevent it, kidney transplant as a treatment option, the need for living organ donors, and the importance of proactive patient involvement in care.

Infection Prevention

Patients who undergo dialysis treatment have an increased risk of infection. They are at a high risk for infection because the process of hemodialysis requires frequent use of dialysis catheters or the insertion of needles to access the bloodstream. Additionally, hemodialysis patients commonly have...

Going Back to Work or School

The FAAST Device Loan Program is a way for people with disabilities of all ages to try out different assistive devices to best determine those most helpful for them. The Program provides hands on training and access to personal computers and other items.

Social Security pays disability benefits to you and certain members of your family if you have worked long enough and have a medical condition that has prevented you from working, or is expected to prevent you from working for at least 12 months, or end in death.

Patient Newsletters

This December newsletter highlights how to become more involved as Patient Subject Matter Expert or Network Patient Representative, home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis as alternative modalities, the Star Ratings for dialysis units,and more.